Wei Hongmin


Wei Hongmin was briefly a 7th-century chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, during the first reigns of Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong.
Very little is known about Wei Hongmin's life or career, as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the Old Book of Tang or the New Book of Tang. He was from Duling.
Emperor Zhongzong had taken the throne late in 683 after the death of his father Emperor Gaozong. In spring 684, he made Wei Hongmin, who was then Zuo Sanqi Changshi, a chief advisor at the examination bureau of government, to be the minister of palace supplies, and also gave him the designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin, making him a chancellor de facto. shared a 10th generation ancestor, the Cao Wei official Wei Zhou In spring 684, after Emperor Zhongzong showed signs of independence from his powerful mother Empress Dowager Wu, Empress Dowager Wu deposed him and reduced him to the title of Prince of Lulin, replacing him with his brother Li Dan the Prince of Yu.
After Emperor Ruizong took the throne, Wei Hongmin remained chancellor for about eight more months, but in winter 684 was demoted to the post of prefect of Fen Prefecture -- on the same day that another chancellor, Liu Jingxian, was demoted for having defended fellow chancellor Pei Yan against accusations of treason, although there was no indication in historical accounts that Wei's demotion was also related to defending Pei. There were no further records about Wei in history.